Spartan Jameson Locke (service number73808-3153-JL)[2] is a Spartan-IV supersoldier and a former Office of Naval Intelligence agent.[6][7][8] Prior to becoming a Spartan, Locke had risen to the rank of lieutenant commander and served under ONI's Section III as an Acquisitions Specialist, his duties including the retrieval of important objects from the enemy as well as the tracking and assassination of high-value individuals.[1]

Born on the humancolony of Jericho VII on March 15, 2529,[2] Locke was orphaned when the Covenantinvaded his homeworld in 2535, being evacuated from the planet only minutes before its glassing by the Covenant. Losing everyone he had known, Locke was placed in a state orphanage with other children who had suffered a similar fate. Upon growing older, many of his compatriots enlisted in the United Nations Space Command, eager for revenge against the Covenant. However, Locke continued to blame the government for their failure to defend his homeworld and came to the conclusion that the UNSC was incapable of protecting its citizens. As a result, he became a freelance tracker and assassin. Locke's atypical behavior and questionable allegiances eventually caught the eye of the Office of Naval Intelligence, who planned to train Locke into a specific role within their organization. Seeking a greater purpose in life, Locke accepted ONI's offer to join and entered their extensive training program where he honed his skills to perfection and became one of ONI's top field operatives, serving Section Three as an Acquisitions Specialist.[1]

On February 7, 2556, Locke led an ONI team dispatched to the distant human colonySedra to investigate terrorist activity. During the investigation Locke's unit and the Sedran Colonial Guard were forced to cooperate after Sedra City was targeted by a Sangheili Zealot terrorist wielding a powerful bioweapon. While patrolling the outskirts of Sedra City, the team spotted a Yonhet smuggler named Axl supplying the Sangheili Zealot with a stasis refrigerant. While Agent Ramos apprehended Axl, Locke, Horrigan, and Estrin pursued the Sangheili. Locke chased the Sangheili into a city access tunnel while Horrigan and the rest of the unit headed directly to the city. After a brief skirmish inside the access tunnel, the Zealot escaped into a Sedran mall with Locke pursing him. As the Sangheili prepared to activate the bioweapon, Locke jumped on top of the Zealot, disabled the alien's energy shielding, and wounded him with his M6H magnum. Locke attempted to force the Sangheili to surrender, but the Zealot jumped off a ledge and activated the bioweapon instead, killing himself in the process. Many humans throughout the city began showing signs of infection, including Locke's fellow operatives Jordan Gaines and Mason Hundley. The unit went to the Sedra Colonial Guard Hospital, where Locke and the uninfected members of his unit went through a decontamination process. After searching the freighter used to transport the bioweapon to Sedra, Locke and his unit witnessed Colonel Randall Aiken brutally interrogating Axl. However, speaking in the Covenant's trade pidgin, Locke persuaded Axl into revealing what he knew of the origins of the element used in the bioweapon.[12]

The unit learned of the weapon's core component—an entirely new element originating from a partly functioning segment of Installation 04 that orbited perilously close to a red giant star. The team discovered that a second tug was travelling to the shard to mine the element's deposits on the fragment. After getting the approval of Rear Admiral Goodwin, the team was forced to cooperate with the Sedran Colonial Guard to travel to the Alpha Shard, capture the smugglers who mined the element for interrogation, and destroy the deposits of the element with a HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon. However, they would be forced to complete their expedition within the sixteen hours the ring's landscape side faced away from the star; during the "day" the temperature and radiation would become unbearable. Taking a D81-LRT Condor to the partially functioning fragment, eleven ONI and Colonial Guard personnel traveled to Alpha Shard.[12]

— Locke and Aiken arguing about who should participate in operation[12]

During the journey through slipspace in the Condor, Locke allowed Aiken to take tactical command of the mission. Locke also revealed to Private Talitha Macer that Colonel Aiken was once a Spartan-II. Eventually, the crew arrived at their destination and landed on the Halo shard's surface. Donning their poweredNightfall armor, Locke and the other three ONI operators jumped out of the Condor at a significant height. After discovering the abandoned tug used by the smugglers, the team discovered horse tracks nearby. The team moved to the tracks' direction and come across two smugglers—Arris Le and Haisal Wari—mining the element in a cave. The smugglers attempted to escape but Locke and Horrigan quickly incapacitated and restrained the smugglers. The group began to return to the Condor for extraction; however, while the dropship was setting down, a large number of Lekgolo appeared and began to swarm over the Condor and it flew off erratically—now controlled by the Lekgolo. As more of the Lekgolo eels appeared, Locke ordered for the group to retreat as three of the Sedrans and the horses were killed. The Lekgolo, in large gestalt formations, began to pursue the group who escaped into a narrow crevice. Locke used a special appliance to holographically camouflage their position from the aliens. However, the Lekgolo quickly sensed the cloaking unit and destroyed it. As the eels closed in on the group, Arris revealed that the Lekgolo can sense active technology and movement, prompting the group to reluctantly shut down the electronics present in their equipment. Unable to detect the humans, most of the Lekgolo left the area and the nine survivors moved out of the crevice. Locke briefly stayed behind to observe a lone Lekgolo worm, before crushing it in his fist.[13]

The group traversing across a river.

As the group continued their trek to the Condor, the team realized that only two individuals would be able to leave Alpha Shard in the smugglers' tug and that which two individuals that would leave would be decided when the mission was completed. To prevent the Lekgolo worms from tracking them, the team ditched their armor. As infighting within the group occurred, Locke promised the smugglers that they would be given a fair chance to survive if they help the team. Additionally, Locke reprimanded Horrigan after the latter suggested leaving the Sedrans and smugglers behind. Eventually, the team took a break to allow everyone to refill on fresh oxygen. The activation of the oxygen breathers alerted the Lekgolo of the team's presence. After the break, the team continued on their journey, but Sergeant Samantha Wisner dropped her breather and it rolled down a hill, activating in the progress. While Ramos went to check on her, Locke realized that the two were missing. However, the Lekgolo worms attacked Wisner and Ramos escaped just as Locke arrived. While Wisner was killed, Locke and Ramos retreated back to the group with the Lekgolo in pursuit. While attempting to escape the worms, Locke fell off a ledge and his foot became wedged under a rock. Macer arrived at his position to help him, but Locke refused and gave her his two oxygen breathers while he prepared to make a final stand against the Lekgolo. However, Macer activated one of the breathers and used it to distract the worms while she helped Locke free himself.[14] As the survivors regrouped, they hid to avoid the Lekgolo. To allow the team to escape, Horrigan pushed Haisal down a hill to be devoured by the worms. After escaping from the worms, Locke berated Horrigan for "playing god".[15]

While continuing on towards the Condor, Locke and Aiken conversed with each other. While Aiken told him that he was willing to die, Locke planned to survive, although he was unwilling to sacrifice members of his team. Shortly after, Horrigan desperately urged Locke to join him to escape in the smugglers' tug together. Locke maintained that he would let luck choose who would survive. While traversing alongside the edge of a cliff, Ramos secretly allowed Estrin to fall to his death after the latter refused to join Ramos in an alliance. After passing the cliff, the group took another oxygen break, but a stand-off ensured as Horrigan held Aiken at gunpoint and demanded him to give up the remaining oxygen tank. Although Locke pulled his magnum on Horrigan and ordered for him to stand down, Ramos sided with Horrigan and the two forced Locke to surrender. As Horrigan and Ramos left for the tug with Arris, the weapons, and oxygen pack, Aiken discovered the Condor nearby.[15]

With the nuclear ordnance recovered and the Condor having limited flight capability, Randall volunteered to detonate the warhead while Locke and Macer used the Condor to reach the tug. While Arris, Ramos, and Horrigan were consumed by the Lekgolo during their attempt to escape, Macer and Locke barely evaded the same fate. Unbeknownst to the pair, Randall's activation of the nuke drew the Lekgolo to his position, allowing the pair to escape Alpha Shard before the nuke's detonation.[16]

After being briefed by Captain Thomas Lasky of UNSC Infinity, the Spartans were delivered to Kamchatka via D79-TC Pelican, where they discovered the Covenant engaging their former Promethean allies. Osiris exited the Pelican dropship to free fall past battling Covenant and Promethean ships, using their armor's thrusters to control their following landing. Osiris landed on a mountainside, where the Covenant and Prometheans were currently engaged in combat and the Spartans fought their way through the terrain. While Vale eliminated Covenant forces aboard a Type-57 Phantom, Locke and the rest of Osiris battled numerous Covenant and Promethean forces on the ground. As one of the Covenant blockade runners crashed into a nearby mountain peak, Osiris regrouped and was forced to outrun the ensuring avalanche. The Spartans leaped off a cliff and slide down the mountainside, where they promptly engaged nearby Covenant forces in a valley. With 'Mdama and Halsey located in a nearby Forerunner structure, Fireteam Osiris fought their way past Covenant and Promethean forces to reach their targets' location. Although 'Mdama had a Kraken deployed to fend off the hostile forces assaulting his location, the Prometheans managed to force the walker to retreat.[18]

As Osiris battled their way to the structure, they arrived at 'Mdama's and Halsey's position on a balcony. While Tanaka, Vale, and Buck engaged 'Mdama's Zealot guards, Locke charged towards 'Mdama to begin engaging the Supreme Commander in close-quarters combat. After a brief fight, Locke managed to assassinate 'Mdama, and Tanaka, Vale, and Buck quickly eliminated the remaining Sangheili soldiers on the platform. With Halsey recovered, Osiris and the doctor returned to UNSC Infinity.[18]

Upon their return to Infinity, Fireteam Osiris learned that Spartan-IIsJohn-117, Kelly-087, Linda-058, and Fred-104 of Blue Team traveled to the Outer Colony of Meridian—absent without leave—to investigate smart AICortana's location. Osiris was tasked with embarking to the recently resettled and now independent Meridian to track down Blue Team and take them back to the UNSC.[19] To prepare for the mission, Locke tasked an AI to identify weaknesses in Spartan-IIs and the MJOLNIR Mark VI.[20] Fireteam Osiris arrived at Pinnacle Station—the Meridian space elevator—via Pelican, where they descended to the moon's surface. Osiris quickly discovered that the world was also under attack from Promethean constructs and Meridian's settlers were desperately attempting to fend off the invaders. In exchange for colony leader Governor Sloan's cooperation, Osiris agreed to help defend Meridian from the Prometheans. After destroying the Prometheans that were assaulting the outpost at the space elevator's base, the Spartans began travelling to Meridian Station, the lead settlement on the moon which the Prometheans were attempting to invade. However, Sloan was reluctant to give Osiris access to the road leading to the settlement, fearing that the Prometheans would follow. However, Osiris eliminated the surrounding Prometheans and Sloan allowed the Spartans to have access to the road. At Sloan's request, Osiris aided several settlers under attack at a nearby service garage and Sloan ordered his men to give the Spartans one of the Liang Dortmund Corporation's M820 Scorpions to use against the Prometheans in exchange for their help.[19]

Osiris encounters the Warden Eternal.

After using the Scorpion to clear out the rest of the nearby Prometheans, Vale and the rest of Osiris proceeded to Meridian Station, where they discovered that Sloan was a smart AI suffering from onset rampancy. Sloan allowed the Spartans to search the settlement for clues about Blue Team's location, leading to Locke having Osiris split up to see if they could learn anything from the local settlers. After learning that Blue Team's prowler was seen traveling to the nearby Apogee Station, Fireteam Osiris boarded a transport Pelican and departed for the settlement.[21] Upon arriving at Apogee, they found the settlement under attack. Working with Meridian soldiers, Locke and the rest of the Spartans cleared out the Prometheans and discovered Blue Team's abandoned prowler. Accessing the prowler's data banks, Osiris discovered that Blue Team had traveled to the mines under the settlement. After eliminating more Prometheans throughout the mines, Osiris discovered that the Meridian settlers had found a massive Forerunner structure underneath the moon's surface. As they investigated the structure, they eventually came across the Warden Eternal, an ancilla that served as the protector of the Domain and claimed his loyalty belonged to Cortana. After refusing to allow the Spartans to pursue Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris engaged the Warden and eventually destroyed him. Advancing forward, Osiris came across a Guardian in a large, cavernous chamber. While exploring the area, Vale discovered a local slipspace translocationnetwork throughout the cavern and noticed Blue Team using it on above platforms. Following Vale, Locke and the rest of Osiris pursued Blue Team as they advanced from platform to platform utilizing the translocation network. During the chase, Locke got ahead of the rest of his fireteam and was teleported to the same platform that Blue Team was on.[22]

Locke and the Chief fighting.

As the Spartan-IIs prepared to travel through one last teleporter to reach the Guardian, Locke ordered them to stand down. The rest of Osiris was teleported to a higher platform, as John-117 ordered his own teammates to go through the portal ahead of him. When John refused to stand down and moved to follow his team, Locke attempted to detain him, leading to a hand-to-hand combat fight between the two while the rest of Osiris watched nearby. John eventually gained the upper hand and used Locke's own armor-locking device against him. As John escaped through the portal and entered the Guardian, the massive construct began to activate and the floating platforms around Osiris began falling out of place and into the lava below. Freeing Locke, the four Spartans rushed back the way Blue Team came by traveling back to each platform via teleporter. Fireteam Osiris was just able to enter the last teleporter as its platform plummeted towards the lava, with Locke assisting Buck through the portal when the latter had nearly fallen off the platform.[22] The Spartans were teleported back to Meridian's surface, where they discovered that the colony was already well into its evacuation as settlers rushed into the moon's space elevator. As Osiris raced to the elevator to escape the ensuring damages that would be caused by the Guardian's activation, the construct rose out of the surface nearby. After fighting their way to the base of the elevator, Sloan allowed Osiris to enter. Sloan then revealed that he was warned of the Guardian's activation by Cortana, and that he intended to be a part of the future Cortana was creating for humans and AI. Osiris destroyed the remaining Prometheans nearby and, after activating it, the fireteam began ascending the space tether. On the way to the elevator terminal, while engaging more Prometheans, the Guardian sent out a shockwave that heavy damaged the elevator. The Spartans were forced to climb the elevator as the structure slowly began to fall. Just as Osiris arrived at the platform their Pelican was on, the Guardian continued to send out more frequent shockwaves that slowed the Spartans down and caused the platform they were on to collapse. Osiris barely managed to enter the dropship, with Locke having to use his armor thrusters to board the Pelican as it fell from the platform. Once Locke was aboard, the Spartans left Meridian's atmosphere as the Guardian entered slipspace and left the moon.[23]

Locke: "We do. But not at the risk of missing the Guardian. Reaching Master Chief is more important."

— Members of Osiris discuss their mission priorities

Locke formulates a plan with the Arbiter.

After Fireteam Osiris returned to Infinity, Lasky ordered for the fireteam—along with Commander Sarah Palmer and Halsey—to travel to the Sangheili homeworld of Sanghelios to utilize the planet's inactivate Guardian to pursue Blue Team. Vale and the rest of Osiris were taken to the planet's surface via Type-56 Lich, where they were tasked with finding Arbiter Thel 'Vadam while he was leading the Swords of Sanghelios against the invading remnants of 'Mdama's Covenant at the Elder Council Chamber in Nuusra. As Osiris engaged Covenant forces, Palmer had Mahkee 'Chava deploy two Mantises for the Spartans to utilize in clearing out the Covenant warriors at the Elder Council Chamber. Upon arriving at the chamber, Osiris battled the Covenant forces assaulting the building and fought their way inside, where they meet up with 'Vadam. With Osiris' help, the Swords of Sanghelios eliminated the Covenant forces at the Council Chamber. Moments later, 'Chava arrived in a Phantom and extracted the Arbiter and Spartans.[11] Traveling to the Swords of Sanghelios' encampment at Nuusra, Osiris worked together with Halsey, Palmer, and 'Vadam to formulate a plan to utilize the Guardian. 'Vadam, recognizing Locke as the ONI agent that had planned to assassinate him in the Covenant War, was initially reluctant to move his forces to assist the Spartans. However, when Cortana briefly shorted out all electronics at the encampment, 'Vadam agreed to work with Locke. Osiris was tasked with locating a Forerunner Constructor at one of the Guardian's nearby support stations to allow Halsey to input commands into the construct to force it to activate the Guardian.[24] Palmer flew Fireteam Osiris to the support station, but was forced to drop them off just south of the facility due to the presence of a Covenant Kraken nearby. While the Spartans provided ground support, the Swords of Sanghelios assaulted the walker from the air. While the Arbiter's flight squadrons forced the Kraken into retreat, Osiris fought their way to an ancient Sangheili temple located near the support facility. After defeating several Prometheans at the temple, the Kraken arrived at the temple, threatening Osiris' mission. As the walker neared, the Spartans boarded the Kraken and destroyed its power generator from within. Osiris fled that doomed walker and traveled into the support facility via stolen Type-54 Banshees. Once inside the station, Osiris retrieved a Constructor, but were attacked by Promethean forces. After battling their way back to an extraction point with the Constructor, a Phantom transported them back to the Swords of Sanghelios' encampment.[25]

Locke prevents Buck from falling into the sea.

With the Constructor, Halsey inputted her commands into it and the construct took off to activate the Guardian. However, the Guardian was located in the Csurdon Sea next to the city of Sunaion, the last bastion of the Covenant on Sanghelios. The Arbiter's forces regrouped and prepared to attack the city to eliminate the Covenant and give Osiris a chance to board the Guardian.[26] Traveling to Sunaion with a squadron of air vehicles, Fireteam Osiris, Arbiter 'Vadam, and several Swords of Sanghelios forces were deployed to Sunaion and engaged Covenant soldiers throughout. While the Arbiter led his forces against the Covenant directly, Osiris destroyed Covenant anti-air emplacements to allow the Arbiter's fleet to move in closer to the city. Unable to receive air support for transport to the Guardian, Osiris accessed Sunaion's undercity to travel to its location. When the Constructor activated the Guardian, Promethean forces arrived at the battle and began engaging the Spartans, as well as the Arbiter and his forces. When the Guardian began rising out of the sea nearby and started to activate its shockwaves, the buildings around the Spartans were ripped apart. As the Spartans moved to safety, they regrouped with the Arbiter as he was engaging Promethean forces. The five battled the onslaught of Prometheans, which were soon led by the Warden Eternal, now utilizing another physical body. After a lengthy engagement, the five destroyed the Warden and the nearby Prometheans just as the Guardian prepared to leave. While the Arbiter remained behind to finish eliminating Covenant and Promethean forces, Palmer and Halsey picked up Osiris in the Pelican and flew towards the Guardian. A pursuing Banshee damaged the dropship, though Palmer was still able to drop Osiris off on the Guardian's surface just as it entered slipspace and left Sanghelios.[27]

Upon exiting slipspace, the Guardian arrived at the Forerunner world of Genesis, where all the other Guardians had traveled to at Cortana's demand. While the Spartans observed their new surroundings, the Guardian attempted to shake the Spartans off, forcing Vale and her team to quickly descend down the construct until they were close enough to the ground to safely jump off the Guardian. Osiris soon encountered monitor 031 Exuberant Witness, who served as caretaker of the installation. The ancilla revealed that Cortana was intending to use the Guardians to force peace across the galaxy and to wipe out those that refused, apparently trying to instill the Forerunners' Mantle of Responsibility on all species with herself and other AI—now calling themselves the Created—as its holders. Osiris resolved to aiding Blue Team and stopping Cortana, with the help of Exuberant Witness. As the Spartans traveled to Blue Team's position at Genesis' Gateway, they encountered Covenant forces that were inadvertently brought to Genesis with the Guardians, as well as hostile Promethean forces. Osiris fought their way towards the Gateway, were they were attacked by the Warden Eternal once again but managed to defeat him. Upon arriving just outside the Gateway, Osiris came under attack from more Prometheans and several of the Warden's bodies, as they attempted to buy time for Cortana to finish her plans. After a long engagement, Osiris proved victorious and Exuberant Witness gave the Spartans access to the inside of the Gateway.[28]

Locke returns to Sanghelios with John.

Upon entering, Osiris and Exuberant Witness encountered Blue Team. While the eight Spartans agreed to work together to stop Cortana from enacting her plans, the AI suddenly teleported Blue Team to near her position.[28] Cortana ultimately placed Blue Team in a Cryptum with the intention of keeping them in stasis for ten thousand years while she initiated her plans.[29] Osiris moved to free Blue Team and, upon exiting the Gateway, witnessed the numerous Guardians entering slipspace to begin enforcing Cortana's new order. As the Spartans engaged Covenant and Promethean forces while on their way to the Cryptum, Cortana revealed that hundreds of AIs had pledged their allegiance to her, including Governor Sloan. Reaching the Cryptum, Osiris had to destroy several gravitational cores keeping the Cryptum in place. As Osiris came close to freeing Blue Team, Cortana began to taunt the Spartans in hopes of demoralizing them, but to no avail. After destroying the gravitational cores, Osiris activated a terminal to lower the Cryptum. However, Cortana suddenly pulled the Cryptum to the Guardian she was preparing to leave on. As Cortana prepared to leave, she began to disconnect herself from Genesis' systems, giving Exuberant Witness an opportunity to take full control of the planet once again. To aid the monitor, Osiris activated two nearby auxiliary power stations to help Exuberant Witness regain control of Genesis. The monitor provided the Spartans a route to Cortana's Guardian and the Cryptum, and Osiris rushed to stop their departure, pushing past the Guardian's powerful shockwaves. Locke managed to reach the relay terminal that gave Cortana control and destroyed it, reinstating full control of Genesis to Exuberant Witness. As Vale came to Locke's aid, Cortana prepared to leave the planet aboard her Guardian with the Cryptum, but Exuberant Witness sent a fleet of Constructors to take the Cryptum from the Guardian just as it entered slipspace. Once Blue Team was freed from the Cryptum, the group traveled back to Sanghelios to rendezvous with the Arbiter, Palmer, and Halsey to discuss their next move now that Cortana and other AIs were commanding numerous Guardians throughout the galaxy to enforce the Mantle of Responsibility.[5]

Locke and Tanaka share a tender moment before departing for a mission.

"Nobody is putting anybody down. We don't panic like that. It's not an option."

— Locke turning down Horrigan's suggestion to kill the prisoners who slow them down[15]

A collected and forward-thinking individual, Locke is a competent soldier who takes a professional approach to combat situations. He is a proficient leader and inspires loyalty in his subordinates, even when they do not agree with his decisions. He is generally nonconfrontational and willing to resolve conflicts through negotiation, using his knowledge and intelligence to solve complicated political and tactical situations.[2] For example, while his ONI compatriots Estrin and Horrigan were vocal with their low opinions on the Sedran Colonial Guard, Locke was willing to put aside their disagreements for the sake of the mission. Despite impressions from Veronica Dare that Locke is "ONI to the bone,"[30] Locke is troubled by some aspects of the organization he serves under,[31] and is serious about his duty to protect humanity.[32]

After becoming a Spartan-IV, Locke was issued a set of MJOLNIR Hunter armor with a Resolute visor. It is painted dark gray with red-orange highlights and light blue lighting. Additional cosmetic details on his armor include an ONI emblem on the chest piece's left breast, with the code number 00-8221-3 painted on both sides. There is an additional yellow decal on the back of the armor's helmet. His preferred loadout is a BR85N battle rifle with the M6H2 magnum.[34]

Mike Colter portrays Locke in Halo: Nightfall and in the Halo 2: Anniversary terminals. Colter provides the character's motion capture and character model in Halo 5: Guardians[37] while Ike Amadi provides his voice.[38] This is due to scheduling issues with Colter, who was simultaneously filming for his role as the Marvel character Luke Cage.[39]

Locke was tentatively named "Marlowe" during the casting process of Halo: Nightfall.[40]